Day 2--Beach Day

When we were planning our trip to FL, we knew we would be down there for a couple days before the rest of my family joined us. (The airline we choose only had 2 flights available that week.) And since the rest of my family held the Disney park tickets, we needed to find other things to do on the days before they came. One thing the girls have been asking to do since I can't remember when is go to a real beach. So on Wednesday we set out for a beach!

We opted for a beach on the gulf side of FL, since we had heard the water is warmer, the sand is nicer, and the waves are more suitable for small children. We arrived at Clearwater beach right before lunchtime, and staked out a prime spot with an umbrella and chairs for the day.

First thing, we put on lots of sunscreen and then ate lunch. The girls hid under the umbrella, behind the chairs, hoping to avoid the large, hungry birds that also recognized it was lunch time.

Then it was time for sand and water! Ashlyn didn't care much for the waves, so she busied herself with the sand toys we picked up at a CVS on our way to the beach. She was so excited to get to make real sand castles at the beach.

Emma got down to business collecting seashells, and took to the water like a fish. She had a great time diving into the waves and looking for more shells under the water. Her snorkel mask was perfect for the day. Emma's only disappointment was she said she thought she would be able to catch fish with her hands at the beach. I'm not sure where she got that idea, but it was funny to hear her talk about that later.

And then there was Josiah. I think he sighed when we got to the beach, in an effort to say, "I am home." I don't think I've ever seen a kid more born for the beach. He loved the sand. He loved the water. And he just laughed when he got splashed by the waves. When we held him and walked out into the waves with him, he put his head on our shoulders and was the happiest and most relaxed little boy. I just couldn't get over how much he loved the beach.

Now, I had two goals for the day: 1. that nobody drown, and 2. that we avoid getting sunburn. Well, nobody drown, but despite my best efforts and repeated application of SPF 50 sunscreen, most of us still ended up with some bad burns. Dakota's burns on his legs and ankles actually caused us quite a bit of concern later in the week, as his ankles and feet painfully swelled to about 3 times their normal size. Though, I'm happy to report that a full week later and after a visit to a doctor, the swelling is finally starting to go down.

By the way, how do you get sand out of... everything?! I'm still finding sand in things and probably will continue to for the next month!